Every Friday, Off The Record looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for bits of news we missed throughout the week.
• The November midterm election has come and gone (also coming and going: Tony Evers and Scott Walker, respectively), but a big question remains: What’s going to happen now that numerous counties and cities in southeastern Wisconsin have shown they’re down for legalizing weed?
In case you missed it, many midterm ballots featured advisory referendums related to legalizing marijuana and/or medical marijuana. Milwaukee County voters weighed in on this question: “Do you favor allowing adults 21 years of age and older to engage in the personal use of marijuana, while also regulating commercial marijuana-related activities, and imposing a tax on the sale of marijuana?” According to the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service:
The results of last week’s referendums showed that 70 percent of voters in Milwaukee County favored full legalization, while 77 percent of voters in Waukesha and 88 percent of voters in Kenosha County favored legalization of medicinal marijuana. Fifty-nine percent of voters in Racine County supported full legalization while 85 percent supported allowing medical marijuana.
S0 what’s next? Well, um, not much? MNNS notes that while Governor-Elect Evers has publicly supported full legalization, a Republican-controlled Legislature may cause “gridlock.” Sen. LaTonya Johnson, meanwhile, says a free-the-weed future is up to us:
“I urge legislators on both sides of the aisle to take note of the widespread support shown by voters throughout the state and take action accordingly,” Johnson said. “I also encourage members of the public to not let their voice end with the referendums and keep reaching out to your elected officials and asking that they move forward with changing our state’s marijuana laws.” [Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service]
• Plans to redevelop the old State Theater at 2600 W. State St. into an all-ages music venue known as New State MKE are moving forward. [Urban Milwaukee]
• Did Milwaukee singer-songwriter Trapper Schoepp add some lyrics and a melody to an unreleased Bob Dylan song from 1961 and get approval from Dylan himself? You bet he did. [Rolling Stone]
• Board Game Barrister plans to leave its decade-plus home at Bayshore Town Center and move…somewhere else. Sigh. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• Six Milwaukee-area Chick-fil-A locations deliver now. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• The owner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Gannett Co. Inc., announced another round of “early retirements” for longtime employees. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• King Myles released a new single, “Dancing In The Rain,” featuring Shle Berry. [Soundcloud]
• A new tavern and cocktail lounge, Pub Fiction, will open at 133 W. Pittsburgh Ave. on December 15. [BizTimes]
• A new “activity cafe”—a.k.a. a coffee shop with some games and stuff—will open at 1819 N. Farwell Ave. next spring. [Urban Milwaukee]
• Here’s your weekly “there’s a new brewery coming to Milwaukee” alert. [OnMilwaukee]
• Here’s your weekly “there’s an old brewery selling its original location and mulling its next move” alert. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• So long, Millioke in the Milwaukee Marriott Downtown at 323 E. Wisconsin Ave.; hello, East Town Kitchen & Bar in the Milwaukee Marriott Downtown at 323 E. Wisconsin Ave. [Urban Milwaukee]
• So long, InterContinental hotel at 139 E. Kilbourn Ave.; hello, Saint Kate, “Milwaukee’s first independent arts hotel.” [BizTimes]